Post Party Problems
by Emma Leigh S
Summary: After Casey catches Truman and Vicky kissing at a party in Toronto, Derek drives her and Vicky home with some interesting results. Dasey picks up in the second chapter. Jizzie also included  in a way... .
1. Apologies

**Post-Party Problems**

_This takes place after the party in Toronto Truman invites Casey, Derek, and Icky Vicky (IV) to where Casey catches Truman and IV kiss. It starts when Derek drops off Vicky, but he walks her inside so he can talk to her without Casey hearing. _

POV: Derek

Vicky and I were walking down the hall towards the apartment she shared with her mom and step-dad while she was still trying to get me to get Casey to forgive her. When we got to the door, she turned to face me.

"Look, Derek," Vicky said – trying to be sexy, but I was too angry to react normally. "I'm sorry, but what happened with Truman was just a joke. Anyways, I didn't think you of all people would care – it's actually kind of sweet." She grabbed my elbow, but I pulled away.

I stood there for a second, shaking my head. "Some joke… and so what if I care? Casey doesn't deserve that kind of crap and especially not from family. Anyways, I wish I could say it was nice seeing you again but –" Vicky cut me off by planting one on me. I pushed her away – which really meant against the door. "What the hell Vicky? Why are you being such a slut tonight?"

Her face turned hard and cold. "I told you. It's sweet of you to care so much about Casey. But why don't you answer me two things: since when do you not go for 'loose' girls, and _why _do you suddenly _not_ get a kick out of Casey's misery?"

"I don't go for 'loose' girls. I go for girls. But just not the ones who are sluts like you. Sure, they might put out, but they – and you – aren't worth it. And usually I do find Casey being a little miserable entertaining. But this was too far Vicky."

"See: sweet. You really do care about her, don't you?" I heard a double meaning in her tone.

"So what if I do?"

Vicky moved in closer towards me. "So…" She grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me in for a kiss. It was a lot more tender and slower than the last one, and before I knew it, I was getting into it myself. She pulled me into the apartment until we reached a table. I couldn't really tell what anything looked like, just that Vicky was up against something, until she pulled away and put something in my hand. "Call Casey's mom. She'll be able to comfort Casey when you guys get home." She slid away and walked over to the couch. Before sitting down, she looked over her shoulder and said, "By the way: you're still a great kisser."

POV: Casey

I sat in Derek's car waiting for him to come back and just drive me home. Why was it taking him so long anyways? He was just supposed to walk Vicky in. Maybe the elevator broke down… or maybe she lived on the very top floor… or maybe she drew him into her evil little slutty spider web just like she did to Truman.

At the thought of that slimy, lying, cheating jerk I started crying. Again. I hung my head, which is probably why I didn't notice Derek walking up to the car. He knocked on the passenger side window, so I rolled it down.

"Here," he said, handing me a Starbucks cup and a grocery bag from the drugstore. "Sorry it took me so long, but I thought you might want a few things. That drink is soy – you have no idea how annoying it was for _me_ to order that."

I looked in the bag as he walked to the driver's side and got in. Derek had bought me three different kinds of chocolate bars, a box of tissues, and my favourite energy drink. "Wow," I said, sniffing, "this is really… sweet. Thanks, Derek."

Something I said made his face cringe a little. "It was no problem. By the way, I think Vicky really is sorry. You should probably call her. Not tomorrow or anything – she does deserve to squirm a little bit. But maybe sometime next week." He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Maybe… or maybe I'll wait until she feels overly squirmed and then she'll have to call me and beg me to forgive her…" I was surprised at how harsh I was being, but I thought it was justified. Or maybe I was taking out the anger I felt towards him on her… but no matter what, the malicious statement surprised Derek too.

"Since when were you so angry?" We locked eyes for a second, and then I saw a look on his face I'd never seen before: compassion. "Sorry…"

There was something in his face and in his voice that made me realize that he really was sorry. "Thanks, Derek. For everything… if Truman was more like you maybe he…" I couldn't finish my sentence, but the words shocked me beyond my own imagination. Did I really just say that I wished my now ex-boyfriend Truman was more like the bane of my very existence Derek? What was wrong with me?

"Guys like that don't deserve girls like you, Casey." I saw his grip tighten on the steering wheel. "I just don't get one thing: why didn't you see all the red flags?"

I stopped crying for a minute, and looked up at him, confused. "I guess I saw them… but I thought I could handle him… change him… I don't know…"

"Guys like Truman can't change. They just use nice girls and then screw them over whenever they freaking want. I mean, Max wasn't exactly the smartest guy I've ever met but at least he knew enough to treat you with respect. And I didn't even mind you dating Sam too much… but Truman?" Derek's face got redder and redder the more he talked.

"Derek?"

"What?" He snapped.

I sighed, and tried to stop crying. "I think you should pull over. You're clearly really stressed out and tense right now. And believe me, I know something about being tense and you really shouldn't drive when you're so worked up or we might end up in an accident and my mom and George will never forgive either of us."

He looked torn, looking at me, then at the road – back and forth a couple times until finally he said, "Fine."


	2. Nicknames

POV: Derek

I pulled into a Tim Horton's parking lot. Casey was right – I was tense. After what happened at the party plus at Vicky's… The thought of that skank threw shivers down my spine as I put the car into park. I turned off the car, and turned to face Casey.

"Do you want to go in or just stay here?" I asked her. I wouldn't have minded grabbing a coffee for the long drive home, but after the drama Casey had gone through I figured I'd just do whatever she wanted. She deserved it.

She put the box of tissues I got her back in the grocery bag. "I'm fine here. You can go in if you want… grab a coffee so you'll be a little more awake when we start driving again."

Good old Casey. She was always looking out for other people… even me. A year ago if she was going through some major drama – like freaking out over a dance recital or something – she could be kind of self-absorbed, but now she was totally selfless even when she was going through something. "Maybe I'll hit the drive-through on the way out."

She smiled. God, she had a great smile. "Thanks… you know, you really are a great guy, Derek Venturi."

"You're not so bad yourself, Space Case." I smiled back now, but hers' seemed to falter for a second. "You know… that nickname's not a bad thing, right? I mean, when you guys moved in yeah, maybe it was a little. But now it's just… it's just something that I know I can call you that nobody else does. My own little… pet-name for you, if you will."

She smiled again. "I know. But I was just thinking how I don't really have a nickname for you. It doesn't seem fair."

"Ha! Trust me, Case, I'm not really a nickname kind of guy."

"Really? What about D-Vent or Triple D? Or Kendra's little pet-name for you – Der-Bear?" Now she was smirking.

I shook my head. "Those are for hockey or parties… and if you remember, I was never really a fan of 'Der-Bear'." I shuddered slightly, making Casey laugh. "There ya go, Space Case. An honest to goodness laugh – who would've thunk it?" I was grinning from ear to ear now – Casey's laugh did that to me sometimes, not that I was going to admit that. Well, that or what Casey really made me feel all the time; why it really bugged me that Truman and Vicky did that to her.

POV: Casey

It was weird… Derek and I have always fought and thrived on each other being miserable, but here we were – laughing and joking around in the parking lot of a Tim Horton's in Toronto. We'd only had one little experience like this before. When Derek threw a huge party the first time our parents went away and we got locked inside the bathroom. It was weird then, but it was weirder now.

"You've heard me laugh before – just not quite so soon after a… situation." I pulled in my lips, trying not to cry again. It was weird… but I didn't want Derek to think I was whiney or something. I needed to be strong. "But enough about… situations – unless you want to talk about something; like that girl you were dancing with at the party. Or should I say girls?" I hated to admit it, but the fact that Derek was always dating and baiting so many girls actually made me kind of jealous.

"Those girls were just fun for a little while. One of them gave me her number, but I'm tossing it out once we get home," he said. He was actually being serious for once, so I took advantage of the situation.

"Why would you do that? She was pretty," I tried to seem impartial, but I swear he could see right through me.

He shook his head. "To some people, yeah, she's pretty. But compared to… other girls, she's barely even average. Actually, she was really plain."

I pondered this for a minute. "Compared to what other girls?" I asked. He looked kind of uncomfortable, so I followed up my question with a little explanation. "I just mean that you sort of paused before you said other girls. Is there anyone in particular you were thinking of?" To be honest, I was hoping his answer would give me some idea as to how I could make little changes towards myself. I knew it was weird – I mean, sure we were just step-siblings, but we lived together.

"Actually…" he started hesitantly, "there is somebody I was thinking of… but…"

I prodded further. "But…?"

"But a girl as sweet and beautiful and smart as her would never go for a jerk like me… so I've learned to settle for what I can get. Which is more than some guys, but still… it's her that I want."

"How do you know you want her specifically?"

He shrugged and smirked a little bit. "I can just tell… she's the one. But I don't deserve her."

"Why not? You're a great guy. Sweet, kind, funny… and you're actually… pretty cute…" I blushed as I said this, but something inside me made me keep going. Or maybe it was just the look on Derek's face. "You deserve whatever girl you want… and whoever you choose would be really lucky to have a guy like you."

Derek's face seemed to light up when I said that, though I couldn't fathom why. "You really think so?"

I was still blushing, and it kept getting deeper. "Yeah… any girl would be over the moon to date somebody so sweet and… you."

He smiled bigger than I'd ever seen him smile before. "So… you still want to know who the girl I was thinking about is?" He seemed more eager to answer this time, so I took my chances. I'd made myself pretty vulnerable, and I was hoping whatever information he gave up would level the playing field at least a little bit.

"Yeah, I do. Who is the lucky lady who's gotten your attention so fully?"

He smiled and leaned in towards me. "It's you, Casey. It's always been you."


	3. Confession Time

POV: Casey

"Really?" I said, shocked beyond belief. "You mean it?"

Derek smiled my favourite cocky little smirk, "Of course I mean it. I mean, when you guys first moved in I thought you were the enemy… but over the past year or two…"

I couldn't believe it! Derek actually liked me? For a year or two? "Wow…" I could hardly breathe, let alone _speak_.

"Tell me you feel the same way," he said, shamelessly. It wasn't like he was begging or anything – he was just trying to figure out how I felt.

"Yeah – I do. I just… I can't believe you feel that way. I mean, it's a lot to process. To think that for the past almost two years instead of fighting it out we could've been…" My sentence trailed off – mostly because I didn't really know what we would've done. I mean, our parents were married and it would be totally weird to date especially since we lived in the same house.

"Making out?" Derek suggested as an ending to my sentence. "I know, it's weird, but… I think we might actually be really good together in one of those 'opposites attract' kind of ways. Don't you think?" He leaned in even further, taking even more of my breath away.

It took me a moment to recover. "I think you're right… but can I ask one thing?" He nodded, so I just kept talking. "It's just that… what are we going to tell our parents? That we've decided to make our house even weirder?"

He moved over in his seat and leaned in even more so that he was so close to me that I could feel his breathe on my skin. "I was thinking we could sneak around a little bit. Just take things slow and if things get really serious, then we'll figure out a way to break it to the parents gently." He lifted his right hand to brush a strand of hair behind my left ear. "Would you be okay with that?"

I tried to keep my voice and breathing even, but it was difficult when he was so close – within touching distance. Not that I was going to, you know, reach out and run my hand down his chest or anything… "Yeah, sure… sneaking around could be… fun."

"Good," Derek said. He glanced at the radio and frowned for a second and then moved back into his seat.

"What is it?" I asked. I wanted him to move back – I was finally getting used to him being so close to me… and I was actually really enjoying it.

He sighed. "If we want to get back before Nora starts freaking out we'd better get going. Mind if I swing through the drive-through to grab a coffee?"

POV: Derek

Casey and I had left the Tim Horton's about an hour ago, and right now she was sleeping in the passenger seat, snoring gently. She was beautiful, even when she wasn't trying to be. I was having some trouble concentrating on the road with Casey sitting there. Her nose was still red from all the crying, and her cheeks were still wet.

I figured I would try to be good and let her sleep, but I couldn't help but reach for a tissue and wiping some of the tears off her cheek. The moment the tissue touched her face though, she woke up.

"Hi," she said, smiling at me.

Unable to control myself, I smiled back at her. "Hi," I said back. "Have a nice nap?"

"Mm," she said, "I had a really good dream." She reached over and grabbed the hand with the tissue in it. She pulled the tissue out and wiped both her cheeks before grabbing my hand again. "So, anything interesting happen while I was asleep?"

"Nah, just some driving, some music – which I'm kind of surprised you were able to sleep through. I had it cranked up loud." I tried to joke around, but I was still thinking of ways that Casey and I could sneak around without our parents – or our siblings – finding out.

She smirked. "Well, living in the same house as you for three years has given me the opportunity to learn how to really tune things out." She was just teasing, but on some level deep, deep, _deep_ down it hurt a little bit.

Using my usual defense mechanism, I teased back – gently though. We were both still getting used to the idea of us liking each other. "But it hasn't given you the chance to learn how not to snore."

Casey laughed gently, "Touché." She looked out the windshield for a moment, and then back at me. "So, have you come up with any ideas about… how we're going to make… this work?" She gestured to the two of us when she said, "this," which comforted me. Clearly, she really wasn't kidding earlier when she said she felt the same way I did.

"Well," I started – I had actually been thinking this through, "I was thinking that whenever dad and Nora go out, we can try to get Lizzie, Ed and Marti to go to play dates and sleepovers and whatever it takes to get them out of the house. Then you and I can watch a movie, or have a nice dinner, or whatever happens to strike us at the time."

"Sounds great," Casey said. "But what happens if we want to go somewhere? Somebody's bound to catch us at some point." She sounded genuinely worried, but I really couldn't blame her.

"I don't know… I mean, we could go to a movie – that's dark. But we'd have to just stay away from popular places. Plus parties and dances are a no-go – which kind of really sucks."

Casey sighed. "Yeah, especially with prom coming up." She frowned a bit. "But at least once we head off to university we can go public with a whole new set of people – if we both end up going to the same place…"

There was a pause after she said that. I'd been thinking about taking a year off to backpack Europe with Sam and Ralph, but a whole year away from Casey when I'd only just found out she liked me? That just felt like too much. "Well, I thought you got early acceptance to Western? Right?"

"Yeah… but then I also got a scholarship for Queens. I mean… I don't really want to leave home – Lizzie and I have never been apart for that long – but a full scholarship is a huge deal. Plus…" Once again her sentence trailed off.

"I know exactly what you mean… but there's still time. You never know, I could get accepted to Queens…" I saw her bite her lip to keep from laughing out of the corner of my eye. "What's so funny? I could get into Queens!" At that she burst out laughing.

Between her wild giggles and desperate attempts to breathe through the laughter, she said, "Sorry! It's just… you… at Queens… HA!"

We came up to a red light and locked eyes for a few seconds. She immediately stopped laughing when she saw my face. "Oh, Derek – I'm sorry. You know I didn't mean it – it's just… your academic standards are a bit… lower than others…"

"I know, Case. But still…"

As we pulled away, Casey started talking again. "I know… why don't we talk about something else?"

"Like what?"

"Like the fact that over the past three years we've known each other you've dated a _lot _of girls – some for longer than others but… the point is somebody's going to notice if you suddenly stop dating girls. Which might even mean that I might have to go on a date now and then… you know?"

I thought about it for a second. "I guess you're right… but why don't we set up some ground rules about you know, how serious is cheating. You know, two dates not cheating, five dates maybe cheating?"

"Only if it's something like five dates in six days or something. If somebody asks to be boyfriend-girlfriend with you, that's too serious."

"Okay – deal. What else? You know, kissing and stuff."

Casey paused to think about it for a second. "You can kiss… but if it gets too… romantic than try to cool it down or something. Like… making out is okay, but… this is awkward but… clothes stay on?"

I couldn't help but laugh. Little did Casey know that all I'd ever done was make out – though her terms made me wonder how far she'd gone. "Not a problem, trust me."

The look on her face was pretty funny, but I kept myself from saying anything and making any jokes. Soon enough, she was over it and started talking again. "Um… glad to hear it. And one last thing: just out of curiosity, what took you so long at Vicky's place?"

"Oh… I was calling Nora to tell her what happened. She'll be waiting for you when we get home."

"She'll want to talk about it," Casey said glumly. Her smile had completely disappeared from her face, and had been replaced by a sullen frown. "How much longer till we get home?"

I looked at the clock. "About 45 minutes. Think you can hold it together until then?"

She just sat there, nodding. The rest of the way home neither of us spoke. I kept my eyes on the road, and she kept hers out the window.


	4. Camped Out

POV: Casey

I had finally gotten to bed after spending an hour downstairs talking to my mom over a nice steaming cup of chamomile. She wanted to know everything that happened – about Truman, at least – and I was glad to actually have a chance to talk about it.

Now I was trying to relax and study until I could sleep, but every time I thought I could focus on my bio notes I ended up thinking back to the events of the night.

First, catching Icky Vicky and Truman kissing at that party. I shuddered at the thought, and almost started crying again – I didn't though. I was all cried out from the past four hours. I had really started to think that Truman could be the one and that he would never hurt me like that. I was used to this kind of betrayal from Vicky, but nothing this low. Usually she would only go for a guy before I had a chance to date him or after we'd broken up.

I knew I was about to cry, so I moved on to what happened with Derek. I couldn't believe that after all these years we actually ended up… liking each other. Actually, _more_ than liking each other. I guess it explained why I was always so angry with him for baiting and dating all those girls, and why I got such a thrill out of fighting with him and teasing him. There was just something there – some sort of fire in the pit of my stomach that I could tell wasn't actual hate. I guess there really is a fine line between love and hate.

And then I had to psyche myself down for my talk with my mom. She really understood and I felt like I really got to express how the situation made me feel. Ever since Max and I broke up I'd had a really tough time talking about how I felt – or really just to my mom. We both felt really bad about the fight we had when discussing me going to the party, but my mom said that it didn't matter anymore – the past is the past, and we can't change it.

"Which means what happened between Truman and Vicky can't be undone either," I had said. My mom told me that though that was correct, maybe it was a good thing because I really hadn't been myself since I started dating Truman – not in the same way I stopped being myself when I was dating Max though. That was just changing the kinds of activities I did instead of my actual sense of responsibility – my essentials.

I decided studying – for once – wasn't getting me anywhere, so I moved over to my bed and took out my diary. I sat there with my pen poised over the page for almost ten minutes before realizing why I wasn't writing about my night. I didn't want to acknowledge the party because I knew when I revisited the entry it would just bring me way down. And I didn't want to write about what happened with Derek because well… Edwin was still stuck in his "snooping" phase and if he found where I had my diary hidden…

I threw the book back into its hiding spot – almost like it was some sort of explosive or something – and took out my poetry book. I decided if I wasn't going to document the evening normally, I could at least document it in a more creative way. If I worded it just right than even if Edwin found it he wouldn't know what it was about – at least not the one that I would write about Derek.

POV: Derek

As soon as Casey and Nora started the crying, tea-drinking, share-your-feelings fest I ran as quickly as I could upstairs. On my beeline to my room, I nearly tripped over Edwin.

"Ed?" I said. "What are you doing out here?" I looked down to see a now barely awake Edwin staring at me from a sleeping bag.

He looked back at me sleepily. "Derek?" he yawned. "What are you doing in my room?"

I gave him a look that basically meant I thought he was certifiably insane. "You aren't in your room, Ed-weirdo." He suddenly seemed a lot more awake. He sat all the way up and started looking around the hallway to get some sense of what was going on.

"What? Why am I in the hallway? LIZZIE!" He got louder and louder. "Lizzie – get out here!"

A half-asleep Lizzie zombie-walked out of her room and came to a dead stop at the sight of Edwin. "Edwin – what are you doing?" she asked innocently, trying very hard not to smirk. If I hadn't been so awake from the night's events, I probably wouldn't have noticed – which is probably why Edwin didn't notice himself.

Edwin scrambled to his feet and walked right over to where Liz had stopped. "You did this, didn't you? Is this because I convinced dad and Nora that a camping trip with this family wouldn't be a good idea for a summer vacation? Or just because you're a cruel, evil girl?" With each question he pointed his finger more and more sternly, and got louder and louder.

"Ed-win! Liz-zie! Stop fighting, I'm trying to sleep!" Marti's voice came from her bedroom.

"Sorry, Marti," Liz and Ed said together.

Lizzie started towards her room, but Edwin stopped her by grabbing her arm. "This ain't over, MacDonald."

"Whatever, Edwin." Lizzie pulled her arm from Edwin's grasp and closed her door in his face before he had a chance to come up with what he would think was a witty comeback.

"Hey, Ed?" Edwin turned to face me, a look of dejection that I didn't quite understand on his face. "Come on, let's… talk." His expression turned to confusion, but he followed me anyways.

I went in and sat on the edge of my bed, Edwin taking the desk chair. "What did you want to talk to me about bro?"

"I just wanted to know what's up with what happened out in the hall there. Family vacations, camping, calling Liz by her last name? Care to explain?"

Ed took a deep breath, and then went on some rant that I really only half listened to. "Well, dad was feeling bad about how March Break turned out, but he still wanted some blended-family memories. So, he talked to Nora about going on a summer vacation for a week or two and they wanted to know what we – we being me, Lizzie and Marti – might want to do. And I thought, 'Great! We can go to Disney Land or something.' But Lizzie came up with the idea that going camping for two weeks would be a lot more fun and 'conducive to family bonding.' So she tried to convince dad and Nora of the same thing, but I managed to use her words to convince them otherwise. And now I guess Lizzie's trying to get me back for shooting her idea down – and using the rents to solidify it."

"So… what _are_ we doing?"

"Well, dad and Nora were kind of distracted because Lizzie and I got into a bit of a fight right then so…"

"So than get her back. To be honest, she's got a lot of… moxy to pull off a prank like that. You're gonna have to come up with something pretty big to get even." As I gave Edwin my brotherly advice, I stood up and… escorted him out of my room. "But right now? You need to get lost and let me sleep. It's been a long night." And with that, I closed my door and turned to face my empty room with a lot of thinking to do.


	5. Making Plans

POV: Casey

The morning after the party I got up at around ten. I couldn't believe I'd slept in so long! I knew it was a Saturday but my study schedule did _not_ take too well to sleeping in at all. I hopped out of bed, grabbed some yoga pants and a tank top and ran to take a quick shower.

I ran downstairs to grab a granola bar and a soy smoothie. My mom and George were just sitting at the island, drinking some coffee over some quiet conversation.

"Morning, mom, George," I said as I went to the fridge in search of the necessary ingredients.

"Morning, Casey," mom said, as she and George exchanged knowing looks. "So, what are you up to today?"

I stopped to look up from what I was doing. Knowing my level of klutziness with multi-tasking, I figured talking while trying to slice up some fruit was not a great idea. "Well… I was going to study during the day and then tonight… I was going to do something else. But maybe I'll hang out with Em, or just keep studying. Maybe I'll catch up a little on my reading." I knew I was rambling a bit, but I didn't want my parents to think I was depressed or anything.

"Are you sure you'll be okay if we're out for the day, Case?" Mom asked me. "Because Emily's parents invited us over dinner and Lizzie has that sleepover that starts at 3 –"

"And Edwin and Marti are going to their grandparent's – and if you want to be alone than we can pay Derek to leave. But if you don't, we could cancel." George finished.

"No, don't cancel," I said trying to sound confident. "I'll be fine – and I'm sure that if I asked Derek to leave and looked sad enough he might actually do it. Go have fun." I tried my best to smile and then went back to slicing up fruit.

My mom came over and got out the blender and started helping me. "You know, Casey, you've always been good about talking about your feelings and if you're feeling lonely or angry or anything than feel free to call us and we'll be right over. I promise."

I threw the sliced fruit into the blender my mom had put vanilla frozen yogurt and mango juice into and threw it on puree, pretending I was thinking about it. As I turned the blender off and poured myself a glass, I looked at my parents and said, "No, no. It's okay. I'll be fine here by myself."

"Another socially deprived evening, Case?" Derek said sarcastically as he walked into the room. "Does it bother you that even Marti's got plans to go out and you don't?" I knew he was just faking it, but it felt so real – and it kind of bothered me that he was so good at this.

"Actually, I had plans but I had to cancel them," I said, trying to be just as sarcastic. "And what are your big plans for this evening, Derek?"

He grabbed a bowl, some cereal and the carton of milk before sitting down on one of the stools. "Actually, there's a hockey game on tonight so if you're staying home you'd better steer clear."

"Ooh, who's playing?" George asked. I thought he was just trying to keep the peace, but then again, he was just as interested in sports as Derek. The two of them got into sports talk quickly, and my mom came to join me at the other end of the island.

"You sure you'll be okay here with Derek?" she asked so quietly I barely heard her.

I nodded slowly, and answered just as quietly. "I think I can handle him." If only my mom knew what I was really talking about when I said that…

POV: Derek

When dad and Nora finally left the room (dad went downstairs to get dressed, and Nora went to go shower), Casey and I started talking – as stealthily as possible.

"So… everyone's out for the night?" I asked casually.

She nodded. "Just the two of us…"

There was a slightly awkward moment when neither of us spoke, but I decided to break it – I was never this nervous around girls. "Do you… want to give it a shot? Dinner, I mean."

"If you want to, than yeah." She seemed like she was trying to stay very calm, cool and collected. "Do you want me to cook? Or should we just order in…"

"Whichever one you think would be best," I made sure she was looking at me as I half smiled and said, "as long as we don't have to eat any leftover meatloaf." She laughed and for a second, I thought we might be okay. But just then, my dad came back upstairs.

When we heard the sound of the basement door open, both of us jumped and I walked straight to the fridge to grab some juice while Casey finished off her… soy, fruit smoothie thing. I took my glass of juice and left the room, just overhearing my dad asking Casey which tie he should wear.

As I got to the stairs, Ed was just coming downstairs rubbing his eyes.

"Morning, Ed," I said. "Get any sleep after that sleeping bag fiasco last night?"

He frowned at me. "Not really. My back really hurt and Lizzie hid some sounds of the forest CD playing in my room which really made my head hurt… birds and rustling bushes… the reasons I don't want to go camping in the first place!"

"Sounds… interesting. Look, I'm headed to my room – there's something else about last night that I wanted to talk to you about. Meet me in there in an hour. We'll discuss things."

Ed gave me a funny look, but it was nothing compared to the looks I saw on his face when he was looking at or talking about Liz. There was something odd going on in this house and I was determined to get to the bottom of it.


	6. Didn't See That One Coming

_Hey guys! I haven't done a pre-chapter note from the author yet, but I thought I'd just say hi, and please keep commenting! It means a lot to me that people are actually reading and enjoying this story, and getting support and encouragement is really great. Thanks! Bye-bye for now _

POV: Casey

Once my mom left to go drop Lizzie off at her sleepover and George took Edwin and Marti to their grandparents, I started leafing through a cookbook to find something easy I could cook for tonight. When I came up empty, I decided to check out the phone book instead to find a good place that delivers.

I finally settled on some little Chinese place called the "Little Panda." It sounded cute and boasted its low, low prices and delicious fried rice. I grabbed the keys to the Prince, and yelled up to Derek that I was going out to pick up a menu.

"What are you going to tell dad and Nora you went out for?" he said coming down the stairs half-way through brushing his teeth. "Joyrides are usually my thing, not yours."

"Well," I said, slightly irritated that he was able to just lie in bed all day and still look the way he did, "maybe I'll pick up something on the way – like chocolate soy milk… or chocolate anything."

"Like a pint of double fudge ice cream?" he teased. "It's a bit cliché if you ask me." I frowned at him – which only made his smirk grow bigger. "Sorry – old habits die hard I guess."

I tried very hard to just smile back and shrug it off as I walked out the door without saying goodbye. I hoped he might realize I was just a bit peeved by his comments, and that we were still on for the night.

Hopping in the car, I pulled down the visor to check and make sure I was actually decent to go out. Satisfied, I started the car and pulled out of the driveway checking my mirrors and blind spot just in case. Ever the cautious driver.

I ended up driving across town to check out the "Little Panda" and it actually wasn't too bad. Good prices, and it smelled amazing. Plus: I knew Derek loved Chinese food. I grabbed a menu and asked the guy at the counter if they delivered. He said yes, so I got back in the car and when I read the dashboard. I'd already been gone for a half an hour! My mom was probably back, or maybe George or… oh no!

I grabbed my cell and dialed the only number that might save me right then. When he picked up, I practically screamed with joy. "Derek?"

"Case? Where are you?" he sounded worried, and I was really afraid that mom or George was home already. "You've been gone for half an hour!"

"I'm just leaving the restaurant now – are mom or George home?" Man, oh man! I knew this wasn't going to go well… actually, I had hoped I'd be wrong but this was cutting it close.

He sighed into the phone. "No, dad's stuck at his parents' – apparently grandma doesn't know how to stop talking about when dad was a kid and he's trying to censor some of the stories. And Nora hasn't called, but I'm pretty sure the party she was taking Lizzie to is in the same end of town you're in. Just get back as fast as you can, okay?"

It was my turn to sigh. "Deal. I just have to stop off at a drug store or something – just in case my mom gets home before me."

"See you in around half an hour?"

"Give or take ten minutes," I replied uncertainly.

POV: Derek

After Casey left, I decided to try to distract myself by eating and watching TV. Sadly, my mind kept going to my conversation with Ed before dad took him to Grandma's. I mean, I knew there had been something weird going on last night but I had no idea that he would drop a bomb like that on me.

"You're what?" I had asked.

Edwin had been sitting in my desk chair again, "I'm gay. Lizzie didn't know and… she made a sort of move on me. When I rejected her –"

"Lizzie _liked_ you?" I was beyond shocked. There was some serious step-sibling stuff going on here and it was incredibly confusing – but the thing was, I wasn't even upset about Edwin being gay. I was just really confused about the situation. "How did you find out?"

"Well…" he said hesitantly, "we were just hanging out like usual, and I was telling her about my latest let down with the ladies… I hadn't told her yet, but I'd been sabotaging every relationship I've had because I didn't want anybody to know. Then she said that there were a lot of girls that liked me, and to keep up the façade I asked which ones – and I really tried to sound excited; which is when she said she did…"

"And all of this happened just before dad and Nora asked about the family vacation…"

Ed nodded vigorously. "Exactly. I didn't really tell her I was… you know. But she was really ticked at me for saying that I didn't feel that way about her and, well… she's just been angry at me ever since. That whole prank she pulled last night really threw me off. She was my best friend and now everything's all messed up! I thought she'd already gone through something like that with Jaime…"

"Only Jaime was the one to mess things up, right?" Again he nodded. "So… here's my advice, from brother to brother: tell her the truth. She can't be angry because you don't like girls… and maybe she'll help you out and find ways to help you keep up the act. If she's really that important to you, you'll find a way to make it work."

"Thanks, bro," Edwin said just before dad called him down. As he got to the door, he turned to me and said, "You're a great brother… but can you promise me one thing?"

I nodded, still trying to compose myself a little bit. "Anything, Ed."

"Don't tell dad or Nora. I'll find a way to break it to them when I can… but for now, I'd like this to stay between you, me and Lizzie. And…" he seemed hesitant again, "thanks for listening Derek. It's nice to know you're there when I really need somebody to listen… somebody I can trust…"

He had walked out of the room with confidence, but he had left me there shaking. Now, as I thought over the conversation, I still shook a little. Ed could trust me so much that he told me what happened with him and Liz plus that he was gay… I couldn't even trust him with what happened after the party last night… some brother I was.

Maybe I would talk to Casey about that tonight – on our date. I smiled at the thought of Casey and I finally doing something just the two of us that wasn't fighting. It was going to be an unforgettable evening.


	7. Slow Start

_Sorry I haven't updated in a while! With school starting and all I just haven't been able to find a lot of time. Now, j__ust to clarify about the last chapter, Nora was dropping Lizzie off and then coming home to get ready to go out and George was dropping off Edwin and Marty. Sorry if that caused any confusion – but they're leaving in this chapter._

POV: Derek

"Hey, Case," I said as she walked through the door. I got up out of my chair and moved towards her. "What took you so long? Nora just got here about five minutes ago."

She looked around me, panic clear in her eyes. I couldn't help but look at the crinkle in her brow just above her nose and her wide eyes narrow and think… wow. It amazed me that she could take a look like that and still look so beautiful. It took me a moment to realize she was talking. "… and there was this lady at the counter ordering _so_ much food! Luckily I managed to get her to order faster – boy that was a toughie – and finally got the guy at the counter to give me a menu so you can mark the things you want for when I order later."

I put my finger on her mouth, "Nora: here. Remember?" I whispered.

"Right," she whispered back, handing me the menu. It was from some place called "The Little Panda." _Figures,_ I thought, _she went for the cutest named Chinese place she could find._ I shook the thought from my mind – just in time, too. Nora walked in the room just as I shoved the menu in my pocket.

"Casey – you're back!" she exclaimed. "Good. I just wanted to check to make sure things were all set for tonight." Casey and I exchanged panicked glances – how had Nora known? "With everybody gone I just want to make sure you two will be alright for dinner and please: try to get along! No more meatloaf in the fichus – _please_. Once George gets back we'll be in the basement getting ready and we'll let you know when we leave – and we'll be back by eleven. There's meatloaf and left-over lasagna in the fridge or if you want there's some money on the counter if you guys feel like ordering out."

It was weird… Nora freaked out just like Casey – rambled on and on – but it didn't really look as good on her as it did on Casey. At some point – I'm not sure when, really. I kind of zoned out – Casey and Nora left the room. I guess they went into the kitchen or something. I took out the menu and sat down in my chair – turning on some hockey game I wasn't entirely paying attention to – and did what Casey suggested.

This was strange territory though… listening to Casey. I'd been trying to ignore her – and my feelings – for so long that being nice to her and actually taking her suggestions almost felt wrong. Of course, crushing on your step-sibling could be considered fairly wrong… but that's beside the point.

Once I finished with the menu, I just sat in the chair – stewing for the time being. I wasn't sure what was up with me, but I couldn't make myself do anything else – just sit and try to focus on the game. But by the time dad walked in the door, I still had no idea who was even playing.

Eventually, dad and Nora left – warning about having a party and crap like that – and Casey and I were left alone.

She walked into the room, and said, "I'm going to order the food in a few minutes. Mom and George left us some money for dinner, so tonight's on them." She smirked a little, showing the rare but completely hot bad side she had sometimes. "I'm going to go listen to a little music upstairs, so just let me know when I should order the food and I'll get it done."

And with that she just turned and walked away. It may be a major cliché, but even though I hated seeing her leave I loved to watch her walk away. Smokin'.

POV: Casey

I sat in my room for at least ten minutes trying to decide what to do. Should I do something superficial like redoing my makeup or hair? Should I pick out a cute outfit or spray a little more body spray? Should I be responsible and study? Should I be a good friend and call Em to tell her what was about to happen? Should I come up with a possible list of topics to talk to Derek about? Should I brush my teeth?

I decided to do a little touch up here and there. Brushing my teeth before a meal seemed redundant, but I couldn't help myself. I checked to make sure my hair was perfect and edited my makeup to a more date-like level. I applied about three more layers of deodorant and threw on a very date-ish top and added a belt to my denim mini-skirt. I thought of talking to him about school, our friends, sports – anything that might peak his interest. Finally I decided it would be best if I just let tonight go as naturally as possible.

Looking in the mirror, I scoffed. Natural? Yeah, cause it's so natural for step-siblings to date. Even if it was just sitting at home it still counted – right? Would we look back on this night as our first date ever or would it just be counted as an experiment of sorts.

"Don't over-think this, Casey," I told myself. "You've been on dates before – you can handle this. Don't think about how long you've liked him or how cute he is when he smirks – just think about breathing and trying to keep your cool. And don't think about Em!"

To be honest, that was my biggest problem with tonight. Em had been my best friend these past couple years – in fact, she was the best friend I'd ever had. And here I was, preparing to betray her in the worst way.

I tried my hardest not to think about it too much, but no matter where I steered my mind – whether it was Derek's mop of a hairdo or the upcoming math test – I kept coming back to Emily. I knew I would tell her at some point… but I had to be delicate with this – pick my moment. I looked at the clock – I had only managed to waste an hour.

Thinking of the big pile of homework I'd gotten – before leaving for Toronto – forced me to take some time to actually study. As usual, though, just as I really got into my work, who should show up but Derek?

For once he seemed a bit more hesitant to enter my room, but got over it and sat on the edge of my bed as he so often has in the past.

"So," he said, "you hungry yet?"

Nervously, I replied, "I could eat."

He stood up, grabbed my hand and pulled me up. "Come on then." He led me downstairs. I have to admit I was confused – I hadn't even ordered the food yet. Why was he so eager?

He was walking fast enough that I couldn't look up – I was too preoccupied watching my footing so I wouldn't collapse on him. So, when we hit the landing and I looked up, you could say the food already on the table with a single red rose beside it was a big surprise. "I figured I should contribute something – you went and got the menu, so I paid for the food. Fair trade?"

I smiled widely and nodded. The night was off to a pretty good start.


	8. That Went Well

POV: Casey

We decided to eat in front of the TV. The hockey game was still on, and Derek had already done something for me, so I thought it was my turn. At first it was awkward – the sitting arrangement, I mean. Usually Derek would've sat in his chair, but again he was hesitant and ended up sitting next to me on the couch.

While we actually ate, we just sat next to each other, but once the game was over and the food was gone, Derek decided to put on a movie. It was one of my favourites – which he probably knew. It was _The Princess Bride_.

He even turned off the lights – which is when things… changed. A lot.

Derek had put his arm around me, and we were very, _very _comfortable – more so than I'd been with _any_ of my past boyfriends, including Derek's best friend Sam. We'd both seen the movie so many times that we could quote entire scenes – so we did. At some point, we'd been doing the same character – I think it was Inigo – and we repositioned so we could look at each other while we spoke. The words began to fade and the distance between us became less and less.

And just like that we were kissing. It started off sweet and slow – the way a first kiss should be – and then we got more into it. I mean, we were really going at it if you know what I mean. We ended up lying down at one point and he was on top of me – our hands moving all over each other.

Then he sat up and I followed him and mounted him. I removed my lips from his and moved to his neck. As I did so, he moved against me. No matter what we did it felt right. His hands started to rub my back and he found my bra and undid it. He then proceeded to reach up my shirt and almost pulled it off, but for some reason I stopped him.

"What is it?" he asked gruffly – short of breath.

Breathing heavily, I told him, "Can we just stick with kissing for tonight? We can save everything else for another time – I promise. We'll find the time, but that's a little too fast for me." I was still sitting on him, and after a minute he just grunted and went back to kissing.

Not that we stayed completely to our word. There was mild… touching, you could say. But I'd rather not describe it. It was kind of new to me, but I liked that I got to share an experience like that with Derek. The feel of his tongue in my mouth was fantastic, and I'm pretty sure he was having a good time to – you know?

After about a half hour of straight making out and such, we parted from each other. The movie was still going, and it was only ten-thirty. Mom and George usually called about an hour before they got home, but they hadn't called yet, so Derek suggested we do something even crazier – while still sticking to our carefully thought out boundries.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked, my head resting on his chest.

"Why don't we go upstairs? It'll be a bigger space is all – nothing you wouldn't want to do tonight, just a little more room for what you do want to do." To be honest, I completely understood where he was coming from and I was about to say yes when the phone rang.

I jumped up and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Casey." It was my mom.

"Hi, mom," I said.

"I just thought I'd let you know we're going to be later than usual tonight – we've got a little wine and… oh, I probably shouldn't say that, should I? Anyways, George and I will be home around 12:30. Try not to fight with Derek, okay?"

"Yeah – I promise. Zero fighting."

"Thanks, Casey. Well, I'll probably see you later. Bye for now!"

"Bye, mom."

I hung up and Derek walked up behind me and slid his arms around my hips. "What was that all about?"

I turned, making sure his hands especially stayed where they were, to face him. "We've got two hours. Your room, or mine?"

POV: Derek

"Wow, Casey," I mumbled, taking a break. We both were. We had gone to my room to make out some more and to be honest, I never knew Casey could do the things she did in there. I guess all those years of dancing made her extra limber.

She rolled closer to me. "Did I tire you out yet?" she asked, smiling.

I rolled into her and kissed her deeply. When I pulled away, I said "Not even close."

"Well, we'll just have to fix that, now, won't we?"

She'd slid off my shirt earlier, and had now decided to climb on to of me again and trace my stomach muscles with her tongue. It felt so good and to know that it was Casey doing it sent chills down my spine.

I pulled her flat against me and rolled over so I was on top of her and shoved my tongue in her mouth while rubbing against her. It felt so right – like our bodies were made for each other. I could only imagine how it would feel when we finally did it for real. Just the thought of it got me going even more and we became even more passionate.

I wasn't used to this… feeling so intimate with someone with (most of) our clothes on. To be honest, I wasn't exactly as wholesome as Casey was – but being with her this way felt so good.

Suddenly, she did something I didn't expect. She rolled us over again, removed her shirt too and then began to undo my pants.

Now, I'm a gentleman, and a gentleman never kisses and tells – so why would I tell you about what happened next? Use your imagination – I'm sure it'd be a lot less rough than what really happened though. Seriously: dancers are amazing. That's all I have to say about that.


	9. The Real Problem

POV: Casey

The next morning I slept till ten, got up, worked out, and did my homework. I only left my room to eat and shower. I didn't want to risk running into Derek after what happened…

By the way, how _had_ that happened? What happened to our guidelines? I never meant to go that far with him, but it was like I had been under some spell or something. Being with him felt right… but afterwards I felt so wrong, like what happened just… like it just couldn't be true. But it was. I had slept with him… it wasn't even like I could talk to Paul about this – there probably wasn't any pamphlet called "So you had sex with your step-brother" or anything.

When it came to dinner time, Lizzie came upstairs to see me studying for a physics test for the upcoming week.

"Hey," she said from the doorway, "dinner's ready. Mom wants to know if you're going to come down."

I looked over at her like I was thinking about it, but then turned back to the computer, just long enough to show that what I was doing was important. When I turned back to face her I said, "I'd really like to but I've got a major test coming up this week. Would you mind bringing me up a plate? Or I can just get some later –"

"No, I'll bring some up to you. I know how you get when you have to study."

Having a sister like Lizzie was definitely a blessing sometimes.

POV: Derek

Lizzie came down the stairs and started piling stuff onto Casey's plate. "Casey says she has a big test coming up this week she needs to study for. I told her I'd bring her up a plate," she said before heading back upstairs.

"So, Derek," dad started, "does this mean you'll need to study at some point, or are you just going to wing it?" He was chewing his mashed potatoes as he said it, which was one of the things that made me wonder why someone as cool as Nora had chosen to marry him – added to the fact that he was a middle-aged, divorced guy with three kids.

I tried to swallow my pork before answering, but Edwin beat me to the punch. "Dad, do you even have to ask with Derek?"

Nora shot daggers from her eyes at Edwin before turning on me. "You know, Derek, I do remember Casey saying something about a physics test this week. I know it's not your best subject, but maybe George is right – studying could be good for you. And if you're having a little trouble you could always ask Casey."

"Yeah right, like I need super-keener-Casey to explain what gravity means," I retorted before gulping my water. For a minute I thought Nora had realized what happened between me and Casey. Then I remembered I was nuts.

"Okay, that's it Derek," dad said. "What happened last night? Did you guys fight last night or something? Did you break something?"

I sat there stunned for a minute before answering. "It's not my fault if Casey doesn't understand the meaning of 'Hockey Game'. She wanted to watch some girlie little chick flick but it was a pretty important game and she just freaked out and said she didn't want to so much as breath the same air as me." Okay, so that was a total lie. But what was I supposed to do? Tell the truth? Just say, "Actually, dad, Casey and I did the dirty last night and I think she's just embarrassed."?

That got me a thorough chewing out by the parentals, but I imagine it would've been worse if I'd told the truth. Huh – I guess I've been right all along: honesty isn't always the best policy.

POV: Casey

Since I knew everyone – including Derek – was downstairs eating and would be for at least half an hour, I started getting ready for bed. This meant brushing my teeth – which I knew wouldn't help make George's food taste better _at all_ – before I ate, combing out my hair, flossing, applying my facial products (moisturizer), and drinking half a glass of tap water.

Once I was done my ritual, I went back to my room and ate the soggy mashed potatoes and dry pork chops. The only way it was at all bearable was when I ate them together.

I reopened my physics text book and tried to focus, but all I could think of was what the next day at school would be like. Derek and I had a lot of classes together, but at least we had different social groups for lunch and stuff.

Then I thought of something I hadn't since Saturday morning: Truman. Immediately, I threw the textbook shut and jumped into bed to cry. After a couple minutes, mom came to find me all curled up, tears staining my favourite pillow.

"Oh, Casey…" she sat beside me and kissed the top of my head. "What's all this about?"

I sat up to look at her. "Truman. I tried so hard not to think about him – but tomorrow… school… he's going to… to be there… and… and…" I burst into full out hysterical tears and buried my face into my mom's shoulder.

"Shh, shh, my love." She put her arms around me and patted the top of my head. "What he did was wrong, Case. But I promise it'll get better. You'll see. Soon enough you'll be able to forget all about what he did and you can go back to being the amazing girl you've always been. And never forget that you have a great family here to support you." She stopped talking then, and just sat there holding me rocking back and forth.

The question I asked myself was this: was the reason I slept with Derek because I subconsciously wanted to, or because I wanted to feel like I was in control again? Was that what Truman had stolen from me? I wanted to be in control of the situation, at any cost – so were my feelings for Derek real, or synthetic?

I could only be sure of one thing: this was turning out to be a lot more complicated than I'd even hoped for it to be.


	10. Avoiding the Problem

_Hey __guys! I know it's been forever since I posted a new chapter, and I'm so sorry! Hopefully this chapter makes up for it. I've already started on the next one – I hope you guys enjoy!_

POV: Casey

I was walking to my locker to meet up with Em when he finally found me. Not Derek – thank god. He and I were still avoiding each other like the plague, afraid that being together too long would dredge up things that… well, we didn't need things like that at school.

Truman was standing in the middle of the hall, just a few feet from my locker. Close enough that I would have to pass him, but not so close that Em would suspect him of having any funny motives. I knew better, though. I knew _him_ better.

"Casey," he said, taking the smallest steps towards me, "please, you have to know how sorry I am. I don't expect you to forgive me but please just know that I never meant to hurt you. You don't deserve that." He grabbed my hand, tight enough that I couldn't pull it away. "And I don't deserve you."

"You're right about that." It was Em. She'd seen him talking to me and was standing behind him. "So why don't you just leave her alone, you jerk?" At that she gently pulled me away by my arm and guided me to my locker. I was grateful. Not only did I not know what I'd say to him, but I still didn't know what to do about Derek. A part of me felt like we'd make a mistake, that people would judge us if they found out. Another part of me didn't care what people would say and just wanted to be with him. I hoped that first part would be enough to keep me from jumping him during first period.

"Casey?" Em was talking.

"Hm?"

"Did you hear a word I just said?" She must've been talking the whole time I'd been thinking about Derek. What would she say if she knew?

She'd be angry, furious. She'd liked him for so long… I couldn't let her find out. "Sorry, Em, I was just… thinking."

"What about? And don't say Truman." I was about to ensure her that no, I certainly wasn't thinking about Truman, but she kept talking. "You don't need a guy like him. How many chances have you given him and this is how he repays you?" She looked at me for a second, and then continued, "I'm sorry for bringing it up. The last thing you need is to think about what he did. Did you do the physics homework?"

I paused. For the first time since I'd been friends with Em, I had gotten away with lying to her. I mean, it wasn't an outright lie but it was enough of one to bug me. "Yeah. I didn't have much else to do this weekend." _Except Derek. _Oh god! I couldn't think like that. That kind of thinking… it was not to be allowed. "Hey, Em?"

"Yeah, Case?" I twinged. It reminded me too much of Derek calling me Space-Case. I couldn't say that though. I couldn't say anything.

"Do you have an elastic band I could borrow?" It was the only thing I could think of, I couldn't go on thinking about Derek like this.

Emily gave me a look… she was confused, but conceded, "Yeah," pulling one off her wrist. "Why do you need it though?"

"Association method," I say sliding it on my wrist and snapping it.

A look of understanding came across her face. "You mean like, if you think about Truman, you'll snap the elastic and you'll associate him with pain?"

"Yeah. Kind of like that." But not exactly.

POV: Derek

For once I was on-time for class. I had actually left the house early to avoid Casey during her morning prep – seeing her walk down the hallway in her robe would just add on to the confusion.

Sam walked in, and boy did he ever look shocked to see me already spaced out in my desk. "Yo, you alright bro? Did you get in a fight with your parents or Casey or something?"

"Well –" I started. I always thought I'd tell Sam about my first time if we were still friends when it happened. But… it was with Casey. How could I tell him? I knew he still had feeling for her, but he insisted on hiding them deep, deep, deep, _deep_ down. Telling him would screw up everything. "Edwin was getting on my nerves and I just needed to get out of the house."

"Makes sense." He slid into the desk next to me and opened his textbook. "So, how was your weekend, dude? I didn't see you at all. How was Toronto?"

I realized he didn't know what happened to Casey, so I told him the bare min – that he used to date Icky Vicky, that they kissed at the party, and when I walked her up to her apartment she'd kissed me.

"That jerk! And that bitch!" Sam slammed his textbook closed again. "How could they do that to her? Oh my god. Derek? Is Casey okay?"

I wasn't sure how to answer, but I guessed. "No, I don't think so." Then the bell rang and she walked in. I avoided eye contact, but she sat too close – Em had chosen the seat in front of me, and Casey took the one in front of Sam.

Sam leaned forward and tapped Casey on the shoulder. "Hey, are you alright?"

She looked at him, and then at me – though only for a split second before turning back to Sam. "Not right now… I will be, though. I just… have to stop thinking about it." The look in her eye suggested to me that she wasn't talking about Truman. She snapped an elastic on her wrist when she answered.

Then Truman walked in. The four of us all went completely silent. Casey looked down into her lap, and the rest of us trying to look at him inconspicuously. I snuck a look or two at Casey – she was crying. Silently and slowly, but I saw tears falling down her cheek.

Truman sat in the very back corner, the furthest seat from the door. He slumped in his seat and he seemed legitimately upset.

Casey snapped the elastic again.

Then she stood up, more tears falling down her face staining her shirt now, and went over to our teacher. She said something quietly to him and then grabbed her bag and left the class.

She didn't come back.

I wasn't sure if it was to do with me or to do with Truman, but I knew one of us was to blame. Sam and Emily looked at each other, with confused but concerned expressions on their faces. They didn't even know everything. Casey wouldn't have told Emily.

_If they knew, would they blame me? _The thought surprised me, but the one that followed shocked me to my core. _I do._

And I knew why I blamed myself. It was my fault. If I hadn't said anything to Casey about my stupid feelings than we never would have…

Yes. It was my fault. Truman did something wrong, yes. But it was my fault Casey wasn't over it yet. I'd rushed her – trying to make her be okay too soon. Trying to make her be happy too soon. Trying to make myself happy before making sure she had healed first.

For the first time I could remember, I actually felt… ashamed.


End file.
